1I am the
man that hath
seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2He hath led me, and brought me
into darkness, but not into light.
3Surely against me is he turned; he turneth
his hand against
me all the day.
4My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he
hath broken my bones.
5He hath builded against me, and compassed me with
gall and travail.
6He hath set me in dark places, as they
that be dead of old.
7He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get
out: he hath made my chain heavy.
8Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out
my prayer.
9He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he
hath made my paths crooked.
10He was unto
me as a
bear lying in wait, and
as a lion in secret places.
11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me
in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark
for the arrow.
13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to
enter into my reins.
14I was a derision to all my people; and their
song all the day.
15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath
made me drunken with wormwood.
16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel
stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
17And thou hast removed my soul far off from
peace: I forgat prosperity.
18And I said, My strength and my hope is
perished from the LORD:
19Remembering mine affliction and my misery,
the wormwood and the gall.
20My soul hath them still
in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I
hope.
22It
is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not
consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23They
are new every morning: great is thy
faithfulness.
24The LORD is my
portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in
him.
25The LORD is good
unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh
him.
26It
is good that a
man should both hope and quietly wait for the
salvation of the LORD.
27It
is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his
youth.
28He sitteth alone and keepeth silence,
because he hath borne it upon
him.
29He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be
there may be hope.
30He giveth his cheek
to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with
reproach.
31For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
32But though he cause grief, yet will he have
compassion according to the multitude of his
mercies.
33For he doth not afflict willingly nor
grieve the children of men.
34To crush under his feet all the prisoners
of the earth,
35To turn aside the right of a man before the
face of the most High,
36To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord
approveth not.
37Who is he that saith,
and it cometh to pass, when the
Lord commandeth it not?
38Out of the mouth of the most High
proceedeth not evil and good?
39Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man
for the punishment of his sins?
40Let us search and try our ways, and turn
again to the LORD.
41Let us lift up our heart with our hands
unto God in the heavens.
42We have transgressed and have rebelled:
thou hast not pardoned.
43Thou hast covered with anger, and
persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not
pitied.
44Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud,
that our prayer
should not pass through.
45Thou hast made us as the
offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.
46All our enemies have opened their mouths
against us.
47Fear and a snare is come upon us,
desolation and destruction.
48Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water
for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not,
without any intermission,
50Till the LORD look down, and behold from
heaven.
51Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of
all the daughters of my city.
52Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird,
without cause.
53They have cut off my life in the dungeon,
and cast a stone upon me.
54Waters flowed over mine head; then I
said, I am cut off.
55I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the
low dungeon.
56Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine
ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57Thou drewest near in the day that I
called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
58O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my
soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou
my cause.
60Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all
their imaginations against me.
61Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all
their imaginations against me;
62The lips of those that rose up against me,
and their device against me all the day.
63Behold their sitting down, and their rising
up; I am their
musick.
64Render unto them a recompence, O LORD,
according to the work of their hands.
65Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto
them.
66Persecute and destroy them in anger from
under the heavens of the LORD.